Just about a year ago my doctor finally determined that gluten was part of the health issues that I was having. Grrrrr. You never really know how much you are going to miss something until it is taken away. Cliche but true. I was never ever a big pasta eater so having to cut out pasta and tomatoes (another one that I was causing problems) didn't seem like a big deal. Cutting out bread, huh, didn't really eat it that much (or so I thought). It was the cutting out of those famous Hostess Sugar Powered mini donuts that just jammed a pain through my heart. When I started traveling down the gluten free highway, it was astonishing to me how many items have gluten in them. Like red licorice. Who would have thought that licorice would have wheat. I was dismayed at first and it seemed hungry all the time. Actually at first I went through what some call the "gluten flu". I was tired, muscle aches, headaches, upset stomach, this lasted almost 2 weeks. During that time she, my doctor, had me eating only Paleo type meals. I was hungry all the time. I mean HUNGRY! It took about a month or so for my body to adjust to the new way of eating. Though I did not stay Paleo by choice. I'm not allergic or sensitive to corn but I am to soy and I like on occasion to have a few preservatives in my food. Keeps the system in check.Once I had "adjusted", and I use the term in quotes cuz it took alot of adjusting, to the new way of eating, I determined that I was not going to eat the store bought gluten free breads or desserts. Ugg. Not only are they expensive, but I simply can't get over the taste. I'm not saying they are bad, it's just not what I want. So over the last year I have been baking breads and searching for what I consider the perfect donut recipe. It took some doing and a whole lot of batches of donuts that I subjected my son and friends to, but I finally have them. It's all mine and well now yours.

These are good, really, really good. Why did I make these? Well, I had accidentally purchased a very large bag of Pamela's Baking and Pancake Gluten Free Mix while at Target. I thought that I had purchased the standard All purpose flour, as I have been trying the different ones. Why? Another good question, because I am tired of making my own and was hoping to find one that tasted decent and was multipurpose. So now I had this very large bag of Pamela's Baking and Pancake Gluten Free Mix. What to do with it. Well this is one of the the recipes that I made. Don't have Pamela's Baking and Pancake Gluten Free Mix, don't fear. I've added some notes or you can use your own. The one thing that I will say is use some Almond flour in this recipe. It adds a lightness to it that is missing if omitted.

Chocolate Lovers Gluten Free Baked Donuts

150 g or about 1 1/4 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Gluten Free Mix (if using your own GF mix, weigh out about 120 g of your flour and the rest Almond flour or 1 cup of your mix and 1/4 c Almond flour). To make these with regular gluten type flour, just use the 150 g of flour, careful that is only a smidgen over a cup I believe. Everything else stays the same.53 g or about 1/4 c sugar1/4 c Hershey's Dark Chocolate or Hershey's Milk Chocolate (I prefer the dark chocolate)1/4 c heavy cream3 tbsp Sour Cream1 lg egg 1 tsp vanilla1/4 c oil (I used canola or vegetable, either have worked)

Preheat oven to 375 FOil a donut pan (I have used coconut, vegetable and canola), set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream and the egg. Beat on medium until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream and vanillaBeat until it is very whipped, about 5 minutes on medium high

While that is beating, in a separate bowl mix the flour, chocolate and sugar.

Add a 1/4 cup of flour mixture at a time to mixing bowl until about half has been added. Add oilBegin to add the rest of the flour mixture.

If the mixture is too thick add 1/4 cup of milk in small increments until the dough is a thick pancake consistency.

Let the dough mixture sit to absorb the liquid for no less then 15 minutes. You can go ahead and add it to a piping bag or a large ziplock at this time. It doesn't have to stay in the bowl.

Depending on your oven, cook for approximately 8 minutes (use the tooth pick method to check for doneness). Let cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes before turning them out.

Use your glaze of choice or:

2 cups Powdered sugar1tsp Vanilla2 TBSP Milk (3 if you are not going to flavor it)

If you are going to flavor it, the 3 TBSP will be your flavoring of choice such as: Pureed Strawberry, Pureed blueberry, Pureed any type of damn berry you can think of, Lemon, Lime, a combo of any of these. I think you get my point!

Enjoy!!!

Let me know if you made changes and how they came out!

These are the non-gluten donuts. From the top left and going clockwise the glazes are: blueberry, lemon, strawberry and powdered sugar with the last one on top another lemon. Just cuz I love lemon.

These were made with regular flour. Can't tell the difference can you! Same glazes as above.